Microsoft releases Office for Mac 2011 SP1 with Apple Sync support for Outlook

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
Microsoft on Tuesday released Office for Mac 2011 Service Pack 1, bringing security and maintenance updates to the suite of applications, as well as support for Apple Sync services with Outlook.



Service Pack 1 is now available for download for owners of Office for Mac 2011. It is a 246MB file available direct from Microsoft, and requires that users be running Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later.



Features of the update for all Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 applications include:

Improved security. This update fixes vulnerabilities in Office 2011 that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code.

Stability is improved. This update fixes an issue that causes Office 2011 applications to close unexpectedly when you open or use Office 2011 applications.

Alt Text authoring is included. This update enables the authoring of Alt Text for objects, such as shapes, pictures, tables, charts, SmartArt, and movies in Office 2011 applications.

Improvements for Microsoft Excel for Mac 2011:

The Solver add-in is included. This update includes functionality that lets you install the Solver analysis tools in Excel 2011.

Improvements for Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac 2011:

Password protect functionality is included. This update includes functionality that lets you protect presentations in PowerPoint 2011 by using a password.

Improvements for Microsoft Outlook for Mac 2011:

Synchronization functionality is updated. This update increases support for Sync Services, and adds calendar, notes, and tasks syncing.

Rules functionality is improved. This update introduces support for Microsoft Exchange-based Server-Side rules.

Resend functionality is included. This update reintroduces functionality to resend an email message to the same or new recipients.

Redirect functionality is included. This update reintroduces functionality to redirect an incoming email message to other recipients.

Meeting invitation functionality is improved. This update improves creating meeting invitations by including a list of recently used locations.

Last week, Microsoft detailed new features of Service Pack 1, particularly the ability to sync calendar, tasks and notes via Apple's Sync services. Now, users can sync their Outlook calendar and other data with their iPhone or iPad.



However, Apple plans to discontinue the use of Mac OS X Sync Services with its subscription MobileMe service on May 5 for all users. The change is already in place for users who moved their account to the new version of MobileMe calendar, which came out of beta last October.







For Outlook for Mac 2011 users who sync their iOS device with Sync Services via iTunes, calendars will remain up to date. But users who sync their iPhone or iPad calendars with MobileMe will not have them synced to Outlook 2011 with SP1.



Released last October, Office for Mac 2011 delivers better compatibility with Microsoft's Windows version of Office and corporate server products. It also features a new user interface that's similar to the Ribbon interface found in the Windows version of Office.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    Quote:

    particularly the ability to sync calendar, tasks and notes via apple's sync services. Now, users can sync their outlook calendar and other data with their iphone or ipad.



    +

    Quote:

    apple plans to discontinue the use of mac os x sync services with its subscription mobileme service on may 5 for all users



    =
  • Reply 2 of 21
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macinthe408 View Post


    +



    =



    MobileMe syncing is far from perfect and I welcome a change, especially one that allows you to retrieve old data saves indefinitely and only updates the changed data, Ã* la Dropbox. Can we assume that Apple will have an update to their MobileMe SyncServices on that date, perhaps from the data center?



    Even if they do I donÂ?t know if discontinuing the sync makes sense. I can kind of see discontinuing support for it, but even then IÂ?d think that some support would be needed. Seems premature to be doing this as I use this feature often so I donÂ?t have to physically sync my devices to get the new calendar, bookmark and contract info, not to mention all the great things it backs up to restore your desktop.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    heavydheavyd Posts: 8member
    --"For Outlook for Mac 2011 users who sync their iOS device with Sync Services via iTunes, calendars will remain up to date. But users who sync their iPhone or iPad calendars with MobileMe will not have them synced to Outlook 2011 with SP1."--



    This is not clicking in my brain. I'm not getting it. Could someone please explain this to me? If, I have MobileMe and I connect Outlook Calendar via Sync Services and my iPhone syncs directly with MobileMe, what is the issue? If someone is using actual Exchange their Calendar would sync directly with their iPhone. What am I missing?
  • Reply 4 of 21
    ghostface147ghostface147 Posts: 1,629member
    It's still slow to sync with Exchange 2010. There is always a delay. It hits my iPhone and Outlook 2010 instantly. Outlook 2011? About 20 seconds later. I wonder if it's because it uses EWS for syncing....
  • Reply 5 of 21
    Excel pre-SP1 has this uber-annoying maximization bug: If you have several workbooks open, and maximize one, when you maximize a second workbook, the first de-maximizes. That's batsh¡t crazy if you ask me.



    Second: Excel has A SINGLE, GLOBAL UNDO HISTORY. That means, if you change file A, then File B, you can't undo the changes to A before undoing the changes to B. WTF?



    Million dollar question: have those two been fixed?
  • Reply 6 of 21
    jkgmjkgm Posts: 22member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Brazilian Joe View Post


    Excel pre-SP1 has this uber-annoying maximization bug: If you have several workbooks open, and maximize one, when you maximize a second workbook, the first de-maximizes. That's batsh¡t crazy if you ask me.



    Second: Excel has A SINGLE, GLOBAL UNDO HISTORY. That means, if you change file A, then File B, you can't undo the changes to A before undoing the changes to B. WTF?



    Million dollar question: have those two been fixed?



    That is the most ridiculous bug I have seen in Office 2011 as well. Seriously, what crack were they on to think that was a good idea?!?
  • Reply 7 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jkgm View Post


    That is the most ridiculous bug I have seen in Office 2011 as well. Seriously, what crack were they on to think that was a good idea?!?



    And yet, i haven't seen AppleInsider, MacRumors, 9to5mac or any other major Apple-centric site publicly acknowledge, bash these ridiculous bugs and ridicule Microsoft for them, which are worthy of a 'dunce hat lifetime achievement award'.
  • Reply 8 of 21
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jkgm View Post


    That is the most ridiculous bug I have seen in Office 2011 as well. Seriously, what crack were they on to think that was a good idea?!?



    Now run Excel in a dual-monitor environment!



    Microsoft should charge people for Office. Its open-source roots reek in nearly every feature implementation.... (one second...one second...) I've been told that Microsoft actually charges people for this Chevy Vega of an application.
  • Reply 9 of 21
    paulmjohnsonpaulmjohnson Posts: 1,380member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    It's still slow to sync with Exchange 2010. There is always a delay. It hits my iPhone and Outlook 2010 instantly. Outlook 2011? About 20 seconds later. I wonder if it's because it uses EWS for syncing....



    I find exactly the same, down to the time as well. It's almost always 20 seconds after the iPhone gets the message.



    I have to say though, I've been pretty impressed with Office 2011 Mac.
  • Reply 10 of 21
    nkalunkalu Posts: 315member
    I wish Microsoft would create an iPad edition of Office. Why are they not taking advantage of what possibilities iPad has to offer?
  • Reply 11 of 21
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    However, Apple plans to discontinue the use of Mac OS X Sync Services with its subscription MobileMe service on May 5 for all users. The change is already in place for users who moved their account to the new version of MobileMe calendar, which came out of beta last October.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Even if they do I don’t know if discontinuing the sync makes sense. I can kind of see discontinuing support for it, but even then I’d think that some support would be needed. Seems premature to be doing this as I use this feature often so I don’t have to physically sync my devices to get the new calendar, bookmark and contract info, not to mention all the great things it backs up to restore your desktop.



    Why does everyone keep repeating this falsehood? Yes, iCal syncing to MobileMe is moving off Sync Services on May 5th and swithcing to calDAV. But why does everyone (MS, AI, even MacWorld) keep stating it as if all Sync Services are going away May 5th. If you aren't on MobileMe, iCal will still sync to your devices via Sync Services. And all of your other data (contacts, key chains, bookmarks, etc) are still synced to MobileMe via Sync Services.



    Can anyone point to an Apple document that states otherwise? I have read that iSync is going away in Lion, but I am unclear if it's just the iSync application or all of Sync Services? And that will be long after the May 5th deadline.



    To solipsism's point, there are a lot of uses for Sync Services besides syncing to MobileMe, including many of Apple's own functionality:



    - Syncing contacts and calendars to a non-iOS iPod with a screen (except the latest, crippled, generation of nano).

    - Using Apple's iSync to put contacts and calendars on a non-Apple phone (because Apple uses iTunes to sync the iPhone)

    - FileMaker's (Apple's) Bento application which accesses the database Sync Services maintains.

    - And worst of all, iCal itself won't get event and alarm updates unless you have it open. Prior to the calDAV move, if I set and alarm on another Mac, the Mac I'm working on will get the calendar update in the background and the alarm will go off like it's supposed to. With the move to calDAV, you need to keep iCal open all the time to get those updates. Otherwise your alarm will never go off.



    Apple's mistake isn't in moving calendar data syncing to calDAV. That's a good thing. It's in putting the calDAV syncing into iCal, requiring iCal to always be open for any of the above functions to work. If they had implemented the calDAV syncing into the MobileMe System Preference so that it syncs continuously in the background, that would ensure your sync databases were always current and your iPod, phone, and Bento applications always had the most recent data.



    I'm hoping that on May 5th Apple will release an updated MobileMe System Preference which will include putting the calendar syncing back where it belongs. I don't need Address Book, or Keychain, or Safari open to have those databases kept current with the data in the cloud. Why do I need iCal to stay open just so my alarms will go off when they are supposed to?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by HeavyD View Post


    --"For Outlook for Mac 2011 users who sync their iOS device with Sync Services via iTunes, calendars will remain up to date. But users who sync their iPhone or iPad calendars with MobileMe will not have them synced to Outlook 2011 with SP1."--



    This is not clicking in my brain. I'm not getting it. Could someone please explain this to me? If, I have MobileMe and I connect Outlook Calendar via Sync Services and my iPhone syncs directly with MobileMe, what is the issue? If someone is using actual Exchange their Calendar would sync directly with their iPhone. What am I missing?



    MS did a very poor job of explaining that part...



    If you have MobileMe and your iPhone syncs directly with the cloud (ie, not via the USB connection to iTunes), your iPhone will not get the calendar updates from Outlook.



    There are hidden sync databases that house your contacts, calendars, etc. In the past, Sync Services kept all this in sync with the MobileMe cloud. But on May 5th (sooner if you manually switch now to the new calendar), your calendar data will no longer be syned by Sync Services (aka, the MobileMe System Preference). It is synced by the specific application, in this case iCal, not in the background by the system (see above why I think this is a bad design). Since you are using Outlook, not iCal, your local calendar information is no longer syncing with the cloud because Sync Services isn't doing it anymore. So, if your iPhone is syncing with the cloud, no Outlook updates for you. And your iPhone updates won't make it back to Outlook either, because there is nothing syncing the cloud to that hidden sync database on your Mac.



    But if you sync your iPhone via iTunes (with the dock connector), iTunes will sync it to those hidden databases where Outlook can then retrive the updates. Likewise, Outlook changes can sync back to your iPhone via the sync database and iTunes. If you don't have MobileMe, then all is good. But if you do have MovileMe, you still have issues if you make calendar updates on the web version of iCal because there is no way for those updates to get back to your Mac...or is there?



    Sync Services won't sync your calendar to the cloud after May 5th. Neither will Outlook. But iCal will. So what if I leave iCal open all the time? I'd love for someone to test this (I don't have OFfice 2011). It works for my non-iOS iPods. If iCal isn't running, the hidden databases aren't updated with any calendar updates made elsewhere, and my iPods don't get event and alarm changes. But if I leave iCal open (or open it right before syncing my iPod) then iCal will update the hiddle database and iTunes can use Sync Services to retrieve the updated info and put it on my iPod.



    Would a similar technique of simply leaving iCal open all the time also fill the gap between the cloud and Outlook, the gap Apple created when they moved calendar syncing from an OS operation to an application operation? Can someone test it?
  • Reply 12 of 21
    nitronitro Posts: 91member
    i wish outlook "synced" with exchange 2003 via RPC. the A-holes at my work dont want to upgrade to exchange 2007 or 2010.



    otherwise i like office 2011 more user friendly the office 2008.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    lilgto64lilgto64 Posts: 1,147member
    So was this a feature or a bug?



    Improved security. This update fixes vulnerabilities in Office 2011 that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code.
  • Reply 14 of 21
    jpcgjpcg Posts: 114member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nitro View Post


    i wish outlook "synced" with exchange 2003 via RPC. the A-holes at my work dont want to upgrade to exchange 2007 or 2010.



    otherwise i like office 2011 more user friendly the office 2008.



    +1

    Really I was shocked to see that this isn't possible. It was one of the main reasons why I wanted Outlook 2011.
  • Reply 15 of 21
    jpcgjpcg Posts: 114member
    Hey guys, just updated.



    This Update breaks compatibility with Endnote X4.0.2. Just thought I should warn you. There is already a discussion thread on Endnote.com. If it takes them as long to release a patch as it did to release an update for Word 2011 in the first place, I really will need to downgrade...
  • Reply 16 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Brazilian Joe View Post


    Excel pre-SP1 has this uber-annoying maximization bug: If you have several workbooks open, and maximize one, when you maximize a second workbook, the first de-maximizes. That's batsh¡t crazy if you ask me.



    Second: Excel has A SINGLE, GLOBAL UNDO HISTORY. That means, if you change file A, then File B, you can't undo the changes to A before undoing the changes to B. WTF?



    Million dollar question: have those two been fixed?



    It doesn't look like it. The main fixes seem to be to Word, calendar sync, Powerpoint and a bug that allowed attackers to inject malicous code http://www.softwarecrew.com/2011/04/...ervice-pack-1/
  • Reply 17 of 21
    Security updates are brilliant and all that jazz, but I still can't go a single session in power point without it bugging out or crashing. Excel seems to have frequent visits from the crash fairy rather frequently as well. Word is surprisingly stable, just slower than an old woman at the checkout.
  • Reply 18 of 21
    The only "issue" I have noticed since upgrading is that the spinning rainbow wheel pops up every other click of the mouse, or even if the cursor is moved after standing still for a brief period. Very annoying.
  • Reply 19 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jpcg View Post


    Hey guys, just updated.



    This Update breaks compatibility with Endnote X4.0.2. Just thought I should warn you. There is already a discussion thread on Endnote.com. If it takes them as long to release a patch as it did to release an update for Word 2011 in the first place, I really will need to downgrade...



    And there I was working away on my latest academic paper today when SP1 innocuously asked to install. Up u til then Endnote behaved perfectly



    Four hours later, having reinstalled Office and Endnote I gave up and switched to Pages - the CIte While You Write isn't as good but I can't miss the deadline!



    I could have strangled someone But I feel slightly beter having found out it wasn't my fault



    SM
  • Reply 20 of 21
    Well I cheered when I read that finally an update to fix the sync issues and I could toss old Entourage and use Outlook for mac which I am used to on a PC. So off I went closed Entourage, Opened Outlook after the update and turned on sync services for everything. Outlook still does not show up in Itunes - only Entourage 1, now I have an Entourage 2 for some reason, and home and work and no category. My calendar in Outlook is a mess and uncategorised for the most part. But I have had to go back to Entourage. Why does Outlook not show up in Itunes. I have the latest version, have restarted, etc, etc. This is so frustrating when a PC works straight a way. I have never used Ical as I like the multifunctionality of mail, contacts and calendar in one app, Anyone know what is wrong. I am not stupid as I have done it heaps of times on pcs.
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